


Conversation in the Clock Tower

by Marf_Redux



Series: Just another Stray AU [22]
Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, car theft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-26
Updated: 2020-02-26
Packaged: 2021-02-19 10:04:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22909324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marf_Redux/pseuds/Marf_Redux
Summary: After this universe's version of under the red hood, Barbara has a talk with Tim about exactly what he knew before he left town.
Series: Just another Stray AU [22]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1270859
Kudos: 35





	Conversation in the Clock Tower

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are disabled. I have my reasons for this and they are in my profile if you simply must know why. I tell you this so you will be forewarned in case you don't want to read fics that disable them.
> 
> Kudos are appreciated and thank you in advance to anyone who leaves them.

Conversation in the Clock Tower

“So did you know?” She asked the young man sitting across from her in a pair of loose jeans and a t shirt. She was still surprised he’d showed up in civilian clothes to the meeting she’d struggled to arrange. He looked so normal but they both knew none of them were. He gave her a questioning look, “Don’t play dumb Tim, did you know that the Red Hood was Jason Todd?”

“I knew he was a victim of the Joker and out to kill him,” Tim seemed to pause, “and while I’ll admit during our final chat before I left town that I considered Jason as a suspect briefly.” He then smirked slightly, “but the whole dead thing kept me from seeing the truth.” Tim paused to take a sip of the can soft drink he’d brought with him. “I possibly could have seen it if I’d known about his connection to Talia but it never came up.” 

So he’d known the Red Hood was after the Joker, that must have been the information he didn’t tell Batman. She also made a note that he’d spoken with him before he left town. “I understand why you didn’t tell Bruce but can I ask why you didn’t tell me?” She asked genuinely hurt that Tim hadn’t warned her at least. It would have made the entire thing much less messy if she’d been aware of what Jason was planning at least.

“Frankly I didn’t want anything to do with anyone connected to the ass hole bat,” Tim said giving her a strange look. “Besides I wouldn't have wanted to put you in the middle of having to decide if Bruce should know the Hood was aiming for the Joker or not.” He looked toward the secret entrance to her work space in the clock tower then. “Shame he didn’t take my advice and just kill the bastard as soon as he got access.”

So he’d been hoping that Jason would just kill the Joker and she found it tough to disagree. He was still watching the access point and she wondered if he thought she had asked him here to set him up for an ambush. “None of them are coming they are still busy searching for Jason,” she said to him but he didn’t relax. “I asked you here because I don’t want you to stop doing the good work you were doing just because Bruce is an ass.” She still didn’t understand what had possessed Bruce to use such extreme measures to find out if Tim was guilty or not. “Anyway I wanted to discuss you coming back to the fold.”

“What take on the identity of one your birds and play operative,” Tim said with a snort. “Sorry I’m not working with anyone who still deals with him unless it’s a real emergency.” She was disappointed but not surprised by that. She wondered if telling him that Dick still wasn’t talking to Bruce after learning all the details about what he’d done might change his mind.“Besides I think I see the big picture even better than you do,” he said and that she was surprised by. 

“And what do you mean by that?” She asked curious and slightly insulted. She prided herself on having an actual picture of everything going on in Gotham and quiet a lot going on in the wider world. Her work as Oracle was the back bone of several heroes work efforts.

“I’m not knocking your skills outside of Gotham you know more than pretty much anyone on either side of the line but in Gotham you always defer to him and he’s got blind spots a hundred miles wide,” Tim said with a snort. “He made going after me personal and ignored the Red Hood till it was almost too late and then when he found out he still partially blamed me for not telling him what I knew.” He frowned deeply, “Any of you should have solved as much as I did eventually but all of you were too busy dancing to the Bat’s tune.”

“So what are you going to do if your not willing to come back in out of the cold?” She asked deciding that trying to argue against that view of his was pointless. There was some truth in it but he was also letting his hurt feelings affect things way too much. “You realize if you come into Gotham as Stray he’s going to drop everything and chase you?” She asked resolving not to bring up Dick at all it wouldn’t help.

“Yeah I know,” Tim said with a shrug, “I’m not planning to stay in Gotham though I will probably steal another of his cars and leave it to get stripped again before I go.” He smiled darkly as he brought up what he’d done before he blew town last time, “I just have a few other meetings to get to first you aren’t the only one interested in hiring me.”

“I don’t suppose you’ll tell me who your meeting?” She asked and he just shook his head no. “Can you at least give me a way to contact you that doesn’t involve jumping through so many hoops?” She asked figuring that it would at least allow her to stay in touch. 

“Here,” he said reaching into his pocket and handing her a card with two email addresses on it. “The top one is one I check every so often so you if you just want to talk or ask a question that’s not important you can reach me there.” He then smirked, “The bottom one is for emergencies only so don’t use it unless it’s a real one.” He got up then and started to head to the way to the buildings normal exit. “I don’t suppose you’d be willing to tell me which car is his Brucie persona’s current favorite would you?”

“I don’t think that would go over well,” she said with a frown. “I know you want nothing to do with him so perhaps intentionally aggravating him isn’t that best plan.” She had a feeling Bruce would know that she had met with Tim which would make him angry at her if Tim stole one of his cars again.

“But it’s a lot of fun,” Tim said and then gave her a wave and headed to the door. “I’ll see you around.” It wasn’t the out come she wanted but she’d take it. At least he was staying in touch and not vanishing completely once again.

The End


End file.
